Mining machine having spiral cutters with scavenger board



MINING MACHINE HAVING SPIRAL CUTTERS WITH SCAVENGER BOARD Filed Oct. 22,1968 L. T. WHITE Aug. is, 19m

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ENTOR Lefcher Z'W/r/fe ATTORNEY L. T. WHITE Au .1s,1970 MINING MACHINE HAVING SPIRAL CUTTERS WITH SCAVENGER BOARD FiledOct.

3 Sheets-Sheet a INVENIOR LeiEhe/"TWhITe ATTORNEY United States PatentUS. Cl. 299-31 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plurality ofaxially aligned angers, connected and driven from opposite ends thereof,are provided at spaced points along the helical edges of the angers withhardened cutting points to cut veins of coal. Pressure is applied to theangers laterally thereof at spaced points to gradually move the angersinto a vein of coal to effect the cutting thereof. A rigid scavengerboard is carried at the side of the angers opposite the vein of coal.During operation, the board, the mine floor and the vein of coal form atrough in which the angers act as a helical conveyor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention "relates to the field of coalmining, and has a particular reference to the cutting of coal in veinsin a mine. A number of types of apparatus have been developed for thispurpose but have been found to be relatively slow in cutting quantitiesof coal. For example, in one such apparatus, a spiral or helical memberis fed axially into the coal, the outer end of the helix being rotatedand the blades provided with cutting elements and the helix may be movedto a certain extent laterally of its axis to effect the cuttingoperation. Because the force is applied laterally against the free endof the helix, it is obvious that such a device cannot be of substantiallength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises one or more, andpreferably a plurality, of auger-like elements connected to each otheraxially for simultaneous rotation. The string of angers is driven fromopposite ends by relatively large motors, and force is appliedat spacedpoints along the angers to feed them laterally into the vein of coal.

More specifically, the cutting device comprises a plurality ofrelatively short large diameter auger sections connected to each otherby means to be described and the ends of the shaft of each section aresupported in a bearing. The motors at the end sections are also properlysupported and each bearing and each motor is subject to the action of ahydraulic ram to feed it broadside into a vein of coal so that thecutting of the coal vein is accomplished by the hardened teeth carriedby the edges of the several angers. Each hydraulic ram is backed up byengagement with a hydraulic jack supporting a roof support, and eachsuch support is provided with a ram projecting substantially verticallydownwardly therefrom and connected to the feeding rams which move theangers into the vein of coal. These rams connected to the roof supportsact as supports for the other rams to hold the angers in the properposition to be fed straight into the vein of coal. The vertical roofsupport rams are subject to hydraulic pressure to move the entireassembly upwardly and downwardly within reasonable limits so that theangers will cut throughout the entire height of a vein of coal. Thevertical or roof support rams attached to the feeding rams connected tothe motors are similarly, operable so that the motors may be raised orlowered with 3,524,680 Patented Aug. 18, 1970 "Ice the angers as thefeeding operation of thecutting angers into the vein of coal progresses.Each of the rams is universally connected at its ends to the respectiveelements by which they are carried to provide for endwise movement ofthe entire cutting assembly. This is accomplished by providing eachmotor at the remote ends of the angers with rams backed up by guides andthe latter rams are subject to fluid pressure to move the entireassembly slowly axially, when desired, to change the rotative paths ofthe cutting elements carried by the angers. The axial rams connected tothe motors are provided at their remote ends with crossheads operatingin horizontal guides to permit them to slide forwardly and rear-wardlyin accordance with movement of the motors and helices toward and awayfrom the vein of coal.

The adjacent ends of anger shaft sections and the remote ends of theauger shafts and the motor shafts are connected by slip joints whichprovide driving connections throughout the length of the apparatus. Suchdriving connections are in the form of a hexagonal element carried byone shaft, which is tubular, and slidable into a hexagonal socket in theadjacent shaft, there being very slight play between the hexagonalelements and sockets to permit very slight angular movement between thevarious shaft sections to accommodate for uneven cutting of the augerelements into the vein of coal. A pin extends through the slip jointconnection referred to, to prevent excess endwise relative movement ofthese elements.

At the side of the angers opposite the vein of coal is arranged anelongated structure known as a scavenger board which is supported by thevarious ram assemblies which feed the angers into the vein of coal. Thisboard, which may be made of two horizontal sections of overlapping metalrelatively slideable laterally to each other, is arranged in contactwith the bottom of the lateral or tunnel in which the apparatus isworking to form with such bottom or floor and the vein of coal, a troughinto which the chips of cut coal fall, thus preventing the coal frombeing thrown baokwardly into the mine lateral. Moreover, the cut coal ismaintained in proximity to and largely in engagement with the angers.These angers are preferably oppositely pitched from the center of thelength of the assembly to the ends thereof so that the cut or chippedcoal is fed endwise into an adjacent lateral to be collected and hauledaway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showingthe apparatus in conjunction with a plurality of mine roof supports;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1, parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a face view of one end of the apparatus looking from the coalvein side thereof, a guide being shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the slip joint connections forthe shaft elements; I

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the scavengerboard; 1

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the slip jointsbetween the shaft sections; and a FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of aportion of a mine layout showing the position of the parts of thepresent apparatus when the operation begins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring toFIG. 8, the numeral10 designates the main gallery of a coal mine from which extend laterals12, which may be, for example, twenty feet wide and as much as fivehundred feed long. These laterals extend away from the main gallery 10any desired distance which may be substantial, for example up to 1000feet. The ends of the laterals remote from the main gallery areconnected by a tunnel 14 parallel to the main gallery 10. It usually isin this tunnel 14 that the apparatus, indicated as a whole in FIG. 8 bythe numeral 16, is arranged.

In accordance with the usual practice, the various galleries, laterals,etc., are provided with conventional roof supports, and a number ofthese supports, arranged in the tunnel 14, are shown in FIG. 1 andindicated by the numeral 18. Each of these supports has arrangedtherebeneath a hydraulic jack 20, having a piston .22 therein connectedto the roof support. These jacks are maintained under pressure toproperly support the roof of the mine as will be apparent.

A plurality of these roof supports, indicated in FIG. 1 by the numeral24, are arranged in a line generally parallel to the vein of coal 27(FIG. 2). Between the roof supports 24 and the vein of coal is arrangeda cutting mechanism indicated as a whole by the numeral 26. Thismechanism comprises a plurality of auger sections 28, each mounted on ashaft 30, the ends of which are connected by bearings 32. The remoteends of the shafts 30 are also supported by bearings 34, and thesehearings also serve to support the shafts 36 of motors 38 of substantialsize and horsepower. Each motor drives its associated shaft through aspeed reduction gear 39. Thus, it will be apparent that the augerassembly is driven from opposite ends thereof by the two motors 38.

In FIG. 1 only two of the auger sections 28 have been shown, with thebearings 32 and 34 arranged a substantial distance apart. It will beunderstood in practice that substantially more bearings are employed,arranged relatively closer together than shown in FIG. 1. For example,each shaft 30 may have four, five or perhaps six helical turns of theauger thereon, thus a substantial number of helical shaft sections willbe employed. These sections are connected to each other and to the motorshafts as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7.

Referring to FIG. 7 it will be noted that the shaft sections areconnected to each other to be simultaneously driven throughout thelength of the auger sections. Each shaft is tubular as shown in FIG. 7,one adjacent shaft section being provided with an insert 40 having ahexagonal axial projection 42 slipping into a hexagonal socket 44arranged in the adjacent shaft section. For example, the left-hand shaftsection in FIG. 7 may be one of the shafts 30, while the other shaftsection may be one of the motor shafts 36. As shown in FIG. 4, thehexagonal projection 42 has slight play relative to the socket 44 inwhich it is arranged. The purpose of this is to permit slightmisalignment of the various shaft sections as may occur if one shaftsection is moved forwardly slightly further than an adjacent sectionthrough the cutting action of the cutting elements carried thereby asreferred to below. This play, while extremely slight, does permit aremote end of a shaft section to move an appreciable distance laterallyof the axis of the shaft. A pin 45 (FIGS. 4 and 7) extends through oneside of one shaft and partly through the other shaft to limit endwisemovement of the shafts.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the edge of each helix of each auger isprovided with a plurality of spaced radially projecting cutting elements46. These elements are formed of hardened carbon steel and theirparticular form and method of securing to the auger form no part per seof the present invention, these elements being known in the art.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be noted that one of the roof supports andits jack 20 is arranged substantially opposite each bearing 32 and 34and opposite each motor 38. In addition, one of the roof supports,indicated as a 4 whole by the numeral 48 (FIG. 1) is arranged beyond theend of each motor for a purpose to be described. Certain roof supports24 are connected to the bearings 32 and 34 and to the motors 38 bystruts 51. The jack cylinder 20 to which each strut is connected isprovided with a relatively heavy band 50 to which is connected a ram 52,having a piston 54 therein (FIG. 2), and a piston rod 56 leads from eachpiston 54. This piston rod is provided at its end remote from the ram 20with an enlarged rod 58, connected thereto, and this rod has its endconnected to the adjacent bearing 32 or 34 or motor 38. The connectionof this rod to its bearing and the connection of each ram 52 to itsassociated band 50- is shown in detail in FIG. 5. Each band 50 isprovided with a pair of spaced ears 57 through which passes a bolt 60.Within these ears is arranged a ball element 62 engageable in a socket64 connected to the adjacent ram cylinder 52. It will be apparent thatthis arrangement permits the ram 52 to partake of universal movement,being free to swing on the axis of the bolt 60 and to partake of thelateral movement relative thereto, for a purpose to be described.Similarly, each of the bearings 32 and 34 and each motor 38 is providedwith a pair of spaced ears 66 having a bolt 68 passing therethrough andthrough a ball 70, arranged in a socket 72, carried by the rod 58.Accordingly, the rod 58 is free to partake of universal movementrelative to the associated bearing or motor. It will be apparent thatthe admission of fluid pressure behind the pistons 54 of the rams movesthe entire auger assembly toward the vein of coal (FIG. 2), to effectthe cutting operation.

The vertical loads of the cutting apparatus and associated elements aresupported by rams 74 (FIG. 2) each of which is provided with a piston76, the piston rod 78 of which is connected at its lower end to theassociated ram 52 as at 80. A similar connection 82 at the upper end ofeach ram 74 connects it to the associated roof support 24. Theconnections 80 and 82 are identical with the universal connections shownin FIG. 5 and need not be specifically illustrated. It will be apparentthat these universal connections permit lateral swinging movement of theright-hand ends of the struts 51 as viewed in FIG. 2. Each of the rams52 and 74 is provided with hydraulic pipes 84 for supplying hydraulicpressure to the rams to operate the pistons thereof for reasons whichwill become apparent. The source of hydraulic pressure is also connectedto the jacks 20 by suitable pipes 86, these jacks being conventional,and accordingly, they need not be illustrated in detail. The remote endsof the two motors 38 are each universally connected as at 88 to a pistonrod 90 of a ram 92, in which is arranged a piston 94, connected to thepiston rod 90. Fluid pipes 96 are adapted to admit hydraulic pressureinto either end of either cylinder 92, and this fluid pressure isadapted to effect a reasonable degree of axial movement of both motorsand the cutting augers. The remote ends of the ram cylinders 92 areconnected to the crossheads 98 (FIG. 3) operable in horizontal guides100 carried by heavy depending brackets 102 secured at their upper endsto the roof supports 48.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, the numeral 104 designates a scavenger boarmade up of a pair of plates 106 and 108, the former of which isconnected by straps or any other suitable means 110 to the rods 58. Oneof the elements 106 or 108, which may be elongated metal plates, isprovided with a plurality of spaced slots 112 in which is arranged abolt 114 carried by the other plate. The assembly 104 is arranged at theside of the angers opposite the coal vein and combines with the vein andthe floor 116 to form a trough 118 in which coal cut by the apparatusdrops. If the rams 74 are energized to move the cutting apparatusupwardly, the plate 106 moves with its associated rods 58 while theplate 108 remains with its lower edge in contact with the floor 116. Theangers may feed the coal in one direction, or they may be oppositelypitched from the centers thereof to feed the coal toward their ends,that is, the laterals 12 (FIG. 8). It will be noted in FIG. 8 that themotors 38 are arranged in the laterals 12, hence with the augersoppositely pitched from the centers thereof, the coal will be fed inopposite direction toward the laterals to be collected by any suitablemeans and hauled away.

In its simplest essence the invention comprises an auger, horizontallyarranged, and provided with spaced points around the periphery thereofwith cutting elements, and force is applied laterally to opposite endsof the auger to move it broadside into the vein of coal to perform thecutting operation. More specifically, a plurality of the augers isemployed and arranged in axial alignment, end to end, and connected toeach other to be simultaneously driven by motors at both of the remoteends of the auger assembly. Pressure for feeding the auger structureinto the coal is provided by the rams 52, and the structure is supportedby the rams 74. As the cutting progresses, fluid will be admitted to therams 52 behind the pistons 54, thus feeding the cutting elements intothe vein of coal so that the cutting operation proceeds.

The veins of coal in certain sections of the country are from four tosix feet deep. Referring t FIG. 2, if the coal vein is higher than thediameter of the auger mechanism, and this diameter may be as much asfour feet, it is desirable as the mechanism is fed into the coal vein tomove it vertically. Under such conditions, fluid pressure is admitted tothe upper ends of the rams 74, thus forcing the cutting assemblydownwardly, for example as suggested in dotted lines in FIG. 2.Similarly, the admission of fluid pressure into the lower ends of therams 74 will move the cutting elements upwardly.

Obviously, each cutting element 46 travels in a circular path, and thepitch of the augers therefore provides a cutting action atlongitudinally spaced points along the augers. Under some conditions itmay be desired to move the entire assembly axially to facilitate thecutting operation. Under such conditions, fluid pressure maybe admittedto the outer ends of one of the arms 92 (FIG. 3) and to the inner end ofthe ram at the opposite end of the assembly. Therefore the motorsstructures and everything connected therebetween will be shifted to theleft in FIG. 3. This operation may be reversed to move the assemblytoward the right. This flexibility of the construction provides for theuniform cutting of the coal as will be understood.

Means (not shown) and forming no part per se of the present invention isemployed for moving the apparatus forwardly as the cutting operationproceeds. For example, as each piston 54 approaches a point near the endof its stroke, suitable apparatus may be employed for moving the jacks20 forwardly so that the operation can proceed almost uninterruptedly.It will be apparent, therefore, that the cutting operation may takeplace substantially continuously until the entire vein of coal has beencut from the tunnel 14 to the main gallery 10.

I claim:

1. A mining machine comprising a shaft having a helix thereon providedalong the edge thereof at spaced points with cutting elements, means fordriving said shaft, means for applying force laterally of said shaft atspaced points therealong to move it laterally into a vein of coal to cutthe latter, a rigid scavenger board at the side of said helix oppositethe vein of coal and longitudinally coextensive with said helix, andbearings for said shaft having mechanical connection with said scavengerboard whereby the latter moves laterally with said shaft.

2. A mining machine according to claim 1 wherein said means for applyinga lateral force to said shaft comprises a pair of hydraulic rams eachanchored at one end and having its other end mechanically connected tosaid scavenger board and connected to one of said bearings.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein each hy- 6 draulic ramconnected at one end directly thereto and having its upper end anchoredwhereby, the admission of hydraulic fluid to the same end of eachweight-supporting ram will move said first-named rams to move said shaftvertically. e

4. A mining machine according t claim 3 provided with means foreffecting axial movement of said shaft to move the cutting paths of saidcutting elements.

5. A mining apparatus comprising a plurality of end to end shafts havingcoupling means therebetween, a helix carried by each shaft and providedat spaced points along the edge thereof with cutting elements, meansconnected to one of the ends of said shaft for driving them, means forapplying lateral force to said coupling means and to said driving meansto move said cutting elements into a vein of coal to effect the cuttingthereof, a scavenger board at the side of said helices opposite the veinof coal resting on the floor of the mine and extending longitudinally ofand coextensive with said helices; said board, the mine floor and thevein of coal forming a trough in which said helices act as angerconveyors, and bearings connected to said scavenger board and supportingsaid shafts.

6. A mining machine according to claim 5 wherein each of said means forapplying lateral force to said coupling means and to said power meanscomprises a hydraulic ram having mechanical connection with saidscavenger board.

7. A mining machine according to claim 6 provided with a secondhydraulic ram directl connected at one end to each of said first namedrams and having its other end anchored whereby the admission ofhydraulic pressure to the lower ends of said second rams supports theweight of said first named rams, said helices and said power means.

8. A mining machine according to claim 5 wherein said scavenger boardcomprises a pair of overlapping flat plates vertically slideablyconnected to each other, the upper of said plates being connected tosaid means for applying said lateral force and the slidable connectionbetween said plates allowing the lower plate to remain in contact withthe floor of the mine; said scavenger board, the bottom of said mine andthe vein of coal forming a trough to receive the cut coal, said helicesacting as auger conveyors to move the coal endwise of said trough to berecovered from the ends thereof.

9. A mining apparatus according to claim 8 provided with roof supportsengaging the roof of the mine and provided with hydraulic supportingjacks, said means for applying said lateral force comprising rams eachanchored at one end to one end of said jacks.

10. A mining apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each of said firstnamed rams has universal connection at one end with one of said jacksand at its opposite end with the associatedcoupling or power means, andmeans for transmitting longitudinal force to said power means and tosaid shafts to change the circular cutting paths of said cuttingelements.

11. A mining machine according to claim 10 provided with a plurality ofhydraulic supporting rams each having universal connection at its lowerend to one of said first named rams and at its upper end to one of saidroof supports.

12. A mining machine comprising a shaft having a helix thereon providedalong the edge thereof at spaced points with cutting elements, means fordriving said shaft, means for applying force laterally to said shaft atspaced points therealong to move it laterally into a vein of coal to cutthe latter, a scavenger board arranged at the side of said helixopposite the vein of coal, said scavenger board comprising a pair ofoverlapping fiat plates vertically slidably connected to each other, theupper "of said plates having mechanical connection with said shaft tomove therewith as said helix advances into the vein of coal, saidscavenger board forming with the floor of the mine and the vein of coala trough in which said helix acts as an anger conveyor to move coalendwise of said trough.

13. A mining machine comprising a shaft having a helix thereon providedalong the edge thereof at spaced points with cutting elements, means fordriving said shaft, means for applying force laterally to said shaft atspaced points therealong to move it laterally into a vein of coal to cutthe latter, and a scavenger board comprising relatively verticallymovable elements and having a lower edge resting on the floor of themine, said scavenger board, the floor of the mine and the vein of coalforming a trough in which said helix acts as an anger conveyor to movecoal longitudinally of said trough, said scavenger board havingmechanical connection with said shaft and with said means for applyinglateral force to said shaft where- 1 by said scavenger board will bemoved with said shaft as the latter advances to cut into the vein ofcoal.

ERNEST R.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1920 OToole 22987 X 7/1962Wilcox 299--87 X 5/1963 Lilly 29987 X 12/ 1966 Rae 29945 5/1969 VonHippel 29987 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1966 Great Britain.

PURSER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

